Serendipity
by FloriessenceFantasy
Summary: Victorious, Inazuma Japan return home after the FFI and resume their normal lives...until some realize that a champion archer transferred during their absence. The new girl seems pleasant enough, but something's out of place...but what? OCxCharacter
1. Of Archers and Broken Promises

**Summary: **Victorious, Inazuma Japan return home after the FFI and resume their normal lives...until some realize that a champion archer transferred during their absence. The new girl seems pleasant enough, but something's out of place...but what? OCxCharacter

_"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on."_  
>- Robert Frost -<p>

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**Chapter 1 - Of Archers and Broken Promises**

"Ah, it's good to be back!" Raimon Junior High's soccer captain and goalkeeper Endo Mamoru exclaimed. He grinned widely at his companions.

"You're right," midfielder Kazemaru Ichirouta agreed. He gazed up at the sky and closed his eyes so he could bask his face in the warm autumn sun. Then he took a deep breath and let the wind whip through his hair, as if he was allowing it to possess him. A moment later, the teen slowly opened his eyes and smiled gently. "Our time at Liocott Island feels like a dream." Beside Kazemaru, game strategist Kidou Yuuto and ace striker Gouenji Shuuya nodded. Both had wistful looks on their faces.

It was now two days since Japanese junior high soccer team Inazuma Japan returned home after winning the championship at FFI, an international soccer tournament modeled to resemble the World Cup. The day before had been reserved to give all of the players some respite, as the plane trip home had been quite extensive. Instead of resting, however, the team had decided to celebrate their victory at Coach Hibiki's ramen shop and spend as much time as they could together before they had to part ways. At the moment, however, Endo, Kazemaru, Gouenji, and Kidou, who all attended Raimon Junior High, were on their way to school. Along the way, Endo suddenly stopped and pointed at something ahead.

"Hey look!" he shouted excitedly. His friends stopped and looked at what Endo was pointing at. All of them had neared Raimon Junior High's campus, where the sound of thundering cheers rumbled throughout the area. All of the windows were open and the four friends could see hundreds of students waving and cheering.

"Wow…this is quite a welcome," Kazemaru remarked. He walked forward and beckoned to his friends to follow.

"We heard all about what happened at the FFI! You guys are amazing!" people shouted. Endo waved wildly.

"Thanks!" he shouted back. "We're glad that we went. Soccer's a great sport! Try it out sometime!" Behind Endo, Kidou, Gouenji, and Kazemaru exchanged knowing looks, and then quietly entered the school building together. It was not until a little later that Endo realized that his friends had gone on without him, and he hurried inside as well; it wouldn't do if he was late for class on the first day back.

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"Good morning, Kujou-san!" a student greeted.

"Good morning," a girl responded. She smiled brightly and skipped over to her desk, which was next to the window in the second row, and sat down comfortably. She hung her bag on a hook beside her desk and took out her school books and a small chocolate cupcake that she had snuck out of the kitchen as an after-breakfast snack. Kujou took off the wrapping and was bringing the cupcake to her mouth when an explosion of sound suddenly blasted throughout the school. The girl jumped and almost dropped her sweet. Startled, she looked around to see what was going on. Her classmates were crowding around the windows, shouting and waving wildly at whoever was outside. She then noticed a group of girls chatting nearby and decided that it wouldn't hurt to ask them.

"Hey, what's all the commotion about?" The girls looked at each other and squealed.

"The soccer team came back after winning the FFI tournament championship," one of them answered excitedly. "You're new here, so you probably don't know. Our school's soccer team used to be really weak and small, but it began to grow really fast and strong this year. Last semester, we won the Football Frontier championship. It was really cool!" Another girl sighed dreamily.

"Yeah! And the thing is, a lot of the team members are really hot. You should go see them!"

As soon as the girl finished talking, the classroom door slid open and Gouenji, Kidou, Kazemaru, and eventually Endo walked in. The girls, and a number of guys, rushed over to greet them and bombarded them with questions at lightning speed. Kujou stared in disbelief, and then shook her head sadly, still not understanding what the point of all the fuss was. Who cared if her new school had a genius soccer team? She had her own sport to cherish; to her, soccer was just a minor existence…right?

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"Oi, guys! Good morning." Endo turned around and saw Ichinose Kazuya and Domon Asuka standing in front of the classroom door. Endo and his friends pushed their way out of the growing crowd around them and went to greet the two newcomers.

"Hey Ichinose, Domon. Good morning," Endo greeted. Domon leaned on his left leg and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yo, I know it's the first day back and everything, but why don't we go out later and play soccer? We might as well warm up for the Football Frontier next year," he said.

"Sounds good," Kidou answered. "Let's gather up the others and head out to the field at recess. We could also stay after school and train." Gouenji smirked.

"Sounds like a plan," he said. As soon as he finished talking, the morning bell rang, signaling the beginning of first period. Ichinose visibly jumped.

"Yikes! It's the bell. Bye guys, let's talk during lunch," he said quickly. He, Kazemaru, and Kidou hurried out of the room and went to their respective classrooms.

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"Hey, Endo-kun. Did you sleep well last night?" Endou looked up from his desk and saw his friend and soccer manager Kino Aki smiling at him.

"Sure thing," he answered. The boy rubbed his head. "It kinda feels strange to come back to school though. There's a lot of makeup work, and I don't get the lessons at all." Aki chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. It'll take some time to get used to studying again…eek!" She and Endo flinched when they heard intense bickering next to the desk two rows down from where Endo sat.

"What are they yelling about?" Endou asked. Aki shook her head.

"I have no idea. Gouenji-kun, do you know?" she asked. Gouenji, who was sitting three rows away on the left, gave the pair a blank look.

"No. I'll go ask if you want." The teen slowly got up from his chair and walked over to see what the conflict was about.

The group mainly consisted of boys, but there were also a number of girls who were mixed in the hassle. Everyone was surrounding one desk. Gouenji peered closely and noticed that all of the attention was being directed at a girl that he had never seen before at school. He assumed that she had transferred during the FFI tournament.

The first thing he noticed was the blue ribbon that the girl had braided with a small bunch of her hair. Blue eyes matched the color of the ribbon and black hair was swept up in a high ponytail on the left side of her head.

"Kujou-san! Can you eat with us today?" Gouenji heard one student ask.

"What are you talking about?" Another student replied angrily. "She's eating with us! She promised to tell us all about America!"

Oh, Gouenji thought. So the new girl, "Kujou-san," transferred from America? He glanced at "Kujou-san" and noticed that she looked rather uncomfortable. Gouenji decided to interrupt the argument. He walked up towards the group of students.

"Hey, who's she?" he asked. Everyone looked at him.

"Gouenji-san!" they exclaimed.

"She's a transfer student from America," one of the boys quickly explained. "Kujou Aya-san. She came about a week ago."

"Kujou Aya, huh?" Gouenji muttered. "You guys shouldn't crowd around her like this; she looks scared." Everyone looked down at Aya, who blinked back at them, confused.

"Well…I think this _is_ a bit troublesome, to tell the truth…why don't we say that I'll eat with this guy today," Aya pointed at Gouenji, "and decide who to eat with later on. Deal?" The students looked at one another. One of the boys shrugged.

"Sure, I guess. Sorry about this. See you later, Kujou-san!" The group waved and dispersed. After everyone had left, Aya looked at Gouenji gratefully.

"Thanks for that…Gouenji…?"

"Shuuya. Gouenji Shuuya. It's fine." Aya nodded.

"Gouenji-san, I know I told them that I would eat with you today, but that was on a whim. You don't have to eat with me if you don't want to." Although she tried not to show it, Aya looked a bit lonely. She stared at her desk. Gouenji noticed this and smirked.

"I'm fine with it. I'm eating with some friends. Join us if you want to." Aya's eyes lit up.

"Really? Thank you."

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"Gouenji-san! Is that a girl with you?" Kurimatsu asked disbelievingly. Everyone around him became dead quiet and stared at Aya.

"Classmate," Gouenji answered.

He and Aya had just arrived at the vast Raimon Junior High soccer field and saw the soccer club sitting down on the benches, eating bento and socializing. Now Aya, who had been standing behind Gouenji, walked to the front and smiled.

"Kujou Aya. Nice to meet you everyone." Raimon Natsumi, daughter of Raimon Junior High's chairman, smiled from where she was sitting next to Aki on one of the benches.

"Our introductions were a little late. I am Raimon Natsumi, and everyone here is part of the soccer club. Welcome to Raimon Junior High." Aya smiled.

"Thanks."

"You're from my class, right?" Endo asked. He got up and walked towards Aya. "I've never seen you before though…" he added. Aya nodded.

"I came here from America about a week ago."

Endo nodded and smiled. "I see! I'm Endo Mamoru." The boy held out his hand. "I'm the caption of the soccer club." Aya shook Endo's hand. Then she looked around at each of the club members and at the field.

"I've heard that Raimon has a strong soccer team, and that you guys won the FFI tournament. That's pretty impressive," she commented.

"Heh, it's nothing." Endo chuckled. "We just played soccer the way we usually do. Do you play soccer?" Aya hesitated for a split second, but then she shook her head.

"No…I do archery." Kidou looked interested. He got up from his seat next to his sister Otonashi Haruna and walked towards the newcomer.

"Archery, huh? That's pretty new. The archery club here has been getting some recognition." Aya's smile widened.

"Yeah. It's one of the reasons that I decided to transfer here."

"Hey! You must be hungry, Aya-san. Why don't you join us for lunch?" Aki asked. She beckoned to an empty seat next to her. "We can all ask her questions while we eat," she added, noticing how everyone was looking at Aya with interest; transfer students almost always had interesting stories to tell.

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Kabeyama dropped onto his back and sighed contentedly.

"Thanks for the food! It was so good!" Everyone laughed.

"Everything tastes good to you," Matsuno teased. A couple people cracked up. After everyone had calmed down, Endo jumped up and faced his friends with his arms spread out.

"Hey guys! Now that we've eaten, why don't we play a game?" he asked. The boy picked up a soccer ball from behind one of the benches. "I brought a ball from the clubhouse." The other boys nodded and got up after they had put away their bento boxes.

"Why not?" Someoka asked. He got up and pumped a fist into the air. "I'll agree to playing a match anytime!"

"Would you like to join us, Kujou-sempai?" Kabeyama asked. Again Aya hesitated, but she quickly regained her composure and smiled weakly. She shook her head.

"Thank you for the offer, but not today. I told you guys before, but I don't know how to play soccer." Gouenji narrowed his eyes. He had noticed a flicker of what looked like sadness cross the girl's face. Was she hiding something? If so, why?

"Gouenji! What are you standing around for? Come onto the field!" Kazemaru called. With a start, Gouenji looked behind him and saw that his friends were on the field and had already divided themselves into teams. He dashed over to join them.

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"True Bakunetsu Screw!" Gouenji shouted. He jumped into the air and shot the soccer ball towards Endo. The ball raged forwards like a ball of fire, rising in temperature the longer it whizzed across the field.

"True Ijigan The Hand!" Endo yelled out. He jumped up and fell towards the ground upside down. He then punched the ground with his left fist. A yellow barrier surrounded him like a cage of lightening. The soccer ball created intense friction with the barrier as it attempted to push itself through and enter the goal that was just out of its reach. In the end, Ijigan The Hand began to crack. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Kazemaru leapt towards the ball.

"I'm not letting it go in!" he shouted. Like a gust of wind, Kazemaru dashed towards Endo and kicked the ball away with a slide tackle. Endo grinned.

"Great job, Kazemaru!" he praised, but a sudden shocked look on his friend's face made him look over at what the commotion was about.

The ball that Kazemaru had kicked seemed to be favoring the girls, and was aiming right at Aya.

"Kujou-san! Watch out!" Kazemaru shouted. Aki, Natsumi, and Haruna covered their eyes. Aya's face paled. A conflicted look crossed her face, but before she could think, her body moved on its own. She jumped in the air. Large white wings appeared on her back. They created a strong wind that made the soccer ball rise higher into the air and be engulfed in a miniature tornado.

"Angelique Arrow," Aya muttered. Using all of the strength in her right leg, she kicked the ball towards Endo. The ball whizzed towards him like a rocket, with a large, winged feathered arrow appearing behind it. Endo held up his hands and hugged the oncoming soccer ball to his chest. The ball's strength caused Endo to be pushed back a couple of inches. Eventually, he came to a stop and the ball was secured in his hands. Endo looked around at his teammates and saw that they were staring at Aya in shock, who looked like she had just seen a ghost.

"What was that?" Someoka asked.

"She could shoot like that?" Kazemaru wondered in disbelief.

"Is she really new to soccer?" Kidou added.

"Angelique Arrow…?" Endou said to himself. He looked down at the ball in his hands. Aya's kick had been powerful. It was almost as good as the shoots that Urabe Rika's team in Osaka had. After a while, a giddy smile crossed his face. Endo looked back up at Aya and gave her a thumbs-up.

"Kujou-san! That was an awesome kick!" Aya's face grew pale. She slowly backed away from the field.

"I…I…I'm going to go look for the archery club captain!" With haste, she ran off to the back of the school, where the sports club buildings were located. Everyone quietly stared at the retreating figure.

"Aya-san..." Aki said worriedly.

A grave silence surrounded the field. No one knew what to say. A few minutes later, Handa Shinichi broke the silence.

"Why did she lie to us?" he asked. By now, all of the boys had left the field and were gathered around the benches to join Natsumi, Aki, and Haruna.

"She looked upset, when she has so much talent. I can't believe that she's never played soccer before," Kazemaru commented.

"I think we should try to learn more about her background, but first, let's try to look for her," Haruna said. She took out her laptop and started typing. "Let's see…Kujou Aya…Kujou Aya…ah! I've got something!" Haruna scanned the article in front of her. Her brow furrowed, and the longer she read, the more her expression twisted in confusion.

"What's wrong, Haruna?" Kidou asked.

"It's really strange, onii-chan," Haruna said. She tapped the keyboard with her fingers as she spoke. "There are a lot of articles about her archery skills, but see this one? Listen to this: After 11-year-old Aya Kujou suddenly appeared at the Preliminary Archery Youth Tournament in Korea, she won consecutive matches to become the Asian archery youth champion, a feat not done since Kurannosuke Amakusa did so three years before. Aya was noted for her precision and her ability to evenly distribute her strength in her arms and hands, allowing her to determine where her arrows would hit before she had let go of the bowstring. Further research showed that Aya had been an avid soccer player before she had turned to archery."

"So it was true," Kidou said.

"I knew it!" Someoka exclaimed. "Her hissatsu technique wasn't something that an amateur could do on a whim."

Away from the others, Gouenji was leaning against a nearby tree, deep in thought. Hearing the news article had ignited something in his heart. He pushed himself off the tree.

"I'll go find her," Gouenji said.

"Gouenji…?" Endo said, his words trailing off. Everyone turned to Gouenji. After a while, however, Endo smiled and nodded understandably. "Go then. Good luck." Gouenji nodded.

"Cover for me if I don't get to class on time." Endo gave him a thumbs-up.

"You bet!"

With a final nod, Gouenji turned around and chased after Aya.

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Aya bent over and panted heavily. She had been running at her speed capacity towards the archery room, and was now leaning against one of the concrete walls. She clutched her head. Kicking the soccer ball earlier had flooded her brain with unpleasant memories. "What have I done?" She asked herself. A sudden rustle sounded behind her. Aya's ears perked up.

"Found you," said a new voice. Aya spun around, recognizing the voice to be Gouenji's. The teen was leaning against the wall next to her, with one leg over the other and his arms crossed over his chest.

"Gouenji-san? What are you doing here?" Aya asked. She faked a smile. Gouenji narrowed his eyes.

"Don't play dumb. Why did you run away?" Aya glared.

"T-that's none of your business!" She blurted.

"It's a little late for that," Gouenji answered coolly. "I already made it my business."

"Then just leave me alone."

"No." Gouenji pushed himself off the wall. "You lied to everyone. You used to be an avid soccer player before you turned to archery, right?" Aya flinched.

"Where'd you find that out?" She asked.

"Otonashi is good with the internet," Gouenji explained. "She found your information without any trouble." Aya looked away.

"What do you want?" she muttered. "Can't you see that I don't want to talk about it?"

"I don't want anything special; I simply want an explanation. Why'd you lie?" Gouenji took a step towards Aya, who unconsciously stepped back.

"Why do you want to know so much?" she asked.

"Because your lie made everyone lose trust in you, and I don't agree with that." Gouenji's eyes softened. "Plus, you reminded me of how I was when I first came here." Aya snapped her head up to face the teen with a clear expression of disbelief on her face. "I almost lost someone I loved because of soccer, and quit until I came here," Gouenji added. "I think something similar happened to you."

"What would you know?" Aya asked angrily. "I…I…" A tear trickled down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away. Gouenji took a step forward and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

"You don't have to tell me, but don't you think talking about it will release the burden?" Aya faltered. Her face burned.

"I…uh…"

"Well?" Gouenji prodded. In the end, Aya collapsed and slid down to the ground. She pulled her legs up to her chin and rested her head on top of her knees. Gouenji took the hint and walked over to the girl and sat down beside her.

"It was six years ago," Aya slowly began. Her voice shook. "I used to be a regular on the youth league soccer team in America as a striker. My biggest supporter was Kura-kun, my childhood friend. He's three years older than me."

"Amakusa Kurannosuke?" Gouenji asked. Aya nodded. She didn't seem surprised that he recognized the name.

"Kura-kun would come to see every game I was in," Aya continued. "At that time, he was the champion archer at an archery tournament in Korea. He always left to compete in the fall, and I would go with him to watch, since the soccer games I played in ended in the summer. On my eighth birthday, Kura-kun had a match, so I went to see him. He won, of course," Aya smiled sadly. "Afterwards, we were going to celebrate at his hotel. Out of excitement, I ran down the streets, where traffic was really busy. Before I knew it, I had run in front of a truck. I was terrified." Aya's eyes were downcast. Her lips quivered. "I froze and didn't know what to do. Before anything happened to me, Kura-kun had grabbed me and pulled me out of the way, but in the process, he had crushed his leg under the truck tires and the ligaments in his arm were torn to the point that he could never do archery again. The event made him devastated."

"I can see why," Gouenji commented. Aya sighed and looked out into the distance.

"The two of us had dreams," she continued, "and we promised one another that we would fulfill them: I would be the youngest female ace striker in America, while Kura-kun would revive archery in Japan by being the world champion consecutively. The accident had ruined his dream from ever coming true. For two years, he was in a state of depression. I wasn't surprised; he wanted so badly to fulfill his dream. I felt responsible for his turmoil…guilt gnawed at my mind for almost a year. In the end, I decided to make Kura-kun's dream come true by making it come true myself."

Beside Aya, Gouenji closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall. He crossed his arms over his chest. "So you basically threw away your own dream for someone else's?"

Aya chuckled half-heartedly. "Yeah…that's exactly what I did." She fell silent.

"How foolish."

"How can you say that?" Aya asked angrily. "What do you know? I'll have you understand that I've been doing this for a long time, and things are going great!"

"Are you sure?" Gouenji opened his eyes and looked over at Aya. "Do you really think Amakusa is happy that you're doing this?"

"Of course!" Aya's voice faltered. "At least…I think so…"

"I understand how you feel," Gouenji said. "I have a little sister who was in a coma for a long time because she got into a car accident while on her way to watch one of my soccer games. I thought the world fell apart around me." The teen's expression became softer. "I planned to punish myself by quitting soccer until she woke up. For a while, I succeeded, but after I met Endo, I began to realize that I still loved soccer. He really does wonders, that Endo." Gouneji smirked. "I think you're feeling the same way. You still love soccer." Aya's face flustered. She shook her head violently.

"No I don't."

"Yes you do. Don't be stubborn."

"I said that I don't like soccer anymore! The kick that time was a fluke!" Gouenji narrowed his eyes.

"That was no fluke." Aya flinched under the icy gaze. She felt like Gouenji was burning holes into her head. "You're skilled," he continued. "It's a waste to throw all your talent away for someone else. I'm sure Amakusa disagrees with what you've been doing up till now."

"No…you're wrong." Aya's voice wavered.

"You're hopeless," Gouenji muttered. He got up and picked up a soccer ball that he found lying next to a nearby tree. "Get up for a second," he commanded. Aya looked up at him curiously.

"What for?" she asked warily.

"Just get up." Aya reluctantly obeyed. "Now, stand over there." Gouenji indicated that she stand a few feet away from him. Aya did as she was instructed. As soon as he saw that Aya was standing in place, Gouenji suddenly kicked the soccer ball towards her with full force. Aya's eyes widened as she saw the ball aiming at her face. With a smooth movement, she stepped backwards and stopped the ball with her chest. The ball fell to the ground in front of her feet.

"What was that for?" Aya demanded.

"Wake up." Gouenji said sternly. "Listen to yourself talking. I don't know how you were able to repress your feelings all those years, but now is the time for you to open your eyes and realize what you're doing to yourself. You still love soccer, and your friend won't be happy that you gave up your dream to fulfill his. I know I wouldn't have been happy if any of my friends did that for me." Aya silently stared at him. Suddenly, tears fell and she picked up the soccer ball from the ground and hugged it tightly to her chest.

"You're right," Aya choked out. "I _do_ love soccer, but I can't face Kura-kun if I continued to play…I still feel like I betrayed him. What does everyone expect me to do? I don't even know what I'm supposed to do anymore." The girl slowly fell to her knees. "And I lied again at lunch when I told Kido-kun that I came to Raimon because of the archery club. That was part of the reason, but the main reason was that I wanted to play soccer. I thought I would be able to, but I ended up rejecting the thought every time."

"Join the club," Gouenji suggested. He walked over to Aya and kneeled down in front of her. Then he slowly reached out and patted her head. "Here, you can do both if you want to. Archery season begins in the fall. Soccer begins in the spring. You don't have to give up anything. And if you get into trouble, we'll be here to help." Gouenji smiled warmly, the rare smile that he gave to his little sister Yuuka. Aya slowly looked up. Her eyes were red and swollen, but the corners of her mouth lifted up just a bit.

"Will that be possible?" she asked slowly. "Will I be forgiven? Will Kura-kun hate me?"

"Have you gone to see him?" Gouenji asked. Aya shook her head.

"Not for a long time. He was hospitalized for surgery, but he hasn't done it yet. Right now, he's been admitted to Seoul University Hospital."

"Even so, I would forgive you if I were him," Gouenji assured. "Now that he won't be able to keep his end of the promise you two made, he'll be rooting for you to fulfill your end of the bargain. It wasn't your fault that Amakusa got injured; he simply wanted to protect the person he cared about the most." Aya looked away and stared at the ground. She was thinking over Gouenji's last words. Then she suddenly stood up and looked down at him with eyes filled with determination.

"I understand, Gouenji-kun. Thank you so much for talking with me about this." Aya's eyes softened. "I…I think I might have been waiting for someone to tell me the words that you just told me. It made me calm down the nerves that I had built up all these years."

"That's good to hear." Gouenji got up and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his pants. "Then, ready to head back?" Aya nodded.

"I want to apologize and clear up any misunderstandings." Gouenji smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Let's go." The boy walked ahead towards the school building. Aya smiled and ran to catch up.

"Hey, you can call me Aya if you want," she said. Gouenji's face turned red. To hide his embarrassment, he coughed.

"Likewise. Call me anything you want." Aya beamed.

"Really? Thanks!" Gouenji continued walking.

"Let's hurry. Class's starting." Aya nodded and ran towards Gouenji. She stopped once she was beside him, and the two walked side-by-side back to the place where they first met.


	2. Redebut Serenade

**Summary: **Victorious, Inazuma Japan return home after the FFI and resume their normal lives...until some realize that a champion archer transferred during their absence. The new girl seems pleasant enough, but something's out of place...but what? OCxCharacter

_"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be."  
>- <em>Douglas Adams, _The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul_ -

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**Chapter 2 - Redebut Serenade**

"So what happened between you two?" Kazemaru asked Gouenji. It was after school and he, Gouenji, Endo, and Kidou were walking home together.

Gouenji closed his eyes. "Why are you asking me?" he asked. "I think you should try asking the person most involved in that." He opened his eyes and pointed backwards.

Eh? Kazemaru turned around, as did Endo and Kidou. They saw Aya running towards them in the distance. When she was in front of the boys, she stopped and placed her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath.

"Go-kun! I'm so glad I caught you guys!" she panted. Her ponytail was in disarray and loose hair stuck to her face and neck. It was obvious that she had been sprinting nonstop.

Go-kun? Endo, Kidou, and Kazemaru thought in surprise. When did Gouenji and Aya become close enough to call each other nicknames? They looked over at Gouenji, and saw that he didn't mind.

"What is it?" Gouenji asked. Once Aya had caught her breath, she straightened her back and readjusted her bag. Then she faced everyone and bowed deeply.

"I'm…I'm really sorry about what happened this afternoon!" she exclaimed. "I lied to you guys, and I shouldn't have."

"Lie? Hiding information about being a really famous person and having played soccer before?" Endo asked bluntly.

A weight fell in Aya's stomach. "Yeah…that."

"That's alright, Kujou-san," Kazemaru said. He rubbed his head. "This all started because I kicked the ball in your direction. Are you okay now?"

Aya nodded. "Yes. I'm fine."

"Thank goodness." Kazemaru smiled.

"Thanks for apologizing," Kidou said. "We were all surprised at first, but we figured that you had a valid reason for not telling us the truth."

Gouenji smirked. "She did, but it's okay now. Right, Kujou?"

"Yeah."

"Say…where do you live Kujou-san?" Endo asked. Aya pointed to the direction of the nearest subway station.

"I take the subway to school. I live about two stops away, in Shibuya."

"Are you going home alone?" Kidou asked.

Aya cocked her head. "I think so…no one else I know lives in Shibuya."

"I'll go with Kujou-san then," Kazemaru volunteered. "It's the least I can do."

"If you're fine with it…thanks for the offer." Aya smiled appreciatively.

"Then we'll be heading home. Bye guys!" Endo called as he, Gouenji, and Kidou walked on ahead. Gouenji held up his hand as his sign of saying goodbye. Aya waved and walked towards the subway station with Kazemaru.

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Kazemaru and Aya walked silently down the tranquil streets. Neither one knew what to say to start a friendly conversation, as they had only just met that afternoon. After a while, Kazemaru became fed up with the silence and decided to ask something that had been on his mind for a while.

"Say…what _did_ happen?" he asked casually. "It's such a waste for you to do archery over soccer. You have a lot of potential."

"Well…a lot happened in the past," Aya answered. Her eyes glazed over. "I did something regrettable, and was punishing myself, but I'm not doing that anymore." Kazemaru stopped in his tracks.

"What's wrong?" Aya stopped walking. She looked back at Kazemaru, who was staring silently at the ground. His bangs covered his face.

"I'm sorry," he said softly.

"About what?"

"I made you remember something painful, didn't I?"

Aya shook her head. "It's alright. I managed to get whatever happened past me, so don't worry too much about it." Kazemaru looked up at her. His face brightened, but only slightly.

"If you say so…so what's going to happen from now on?" As if she didn't hear him, Aya ran ahead. She saw that the train station wasn't too far away. Before she passed the gates, she swung around and grinned.

"I'm joining the soccer club starting tomorrow. See you tomorrow, teammate!" With that, Aya spun around again and disappeared into the crowd.

Kazemaru stared. Join the soccer club? Well, he reasoned. It wasn't unusual for her to not join the club. However, the soccer season was over, so for now, she could focus on the archery that she had "presumably," enrolled in Raimon for.

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"Aya-san! Good morning! I heard from Endo-kun. You're joining the club starting today, right? Welcome in!" Aki smiled as she saw Aya walking towards the front gates where she was standing. Aya looked up. She had been listening to music and contemplating on how to announce her plans to join the soccer club later in the afternoon. Seeing Aki greeting her, Aya waved and took off her earphones.

"Good morning. Thanks for the welcome, manager." Aya grinned. "And yeah, I decided to join the soccer club."

"Great to hear! We haven't had any female players before, so you'll be a great addition." Aki and Aya continued to chat as they walked into school together, both happy with the fact that there would be a female friend from the same class and grade to confide troubles with.

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"Alright everyone! Listen up!" Endo announced. Everyone sitting on the soccer field looked up from their bento. It was lunchtime, and like usual, the club members were hanging out together and eating outside. "Although the season ended," Endo continued, after making sure that he had everyone's attention, "Kujou-san will be joining the soccer club as a fellow player starting in the spring."

"Is that so?" Handa asked. Everyone began to talk amongst themselves as Aya arrived with Gouenji. The two had somehow made a silent agreement to go to the field together at lunchtime.

"Hey Kujou-senpai! We just heard the news. Welcome to the club!" the underclassmen chirped.

"Thanks, guys. And really, sorry about yesterday. I must have looked weird," Aya said.

"No, no. That's fine. It's all in the past," Kidou said. He would never tell Aya that the night before, Gouenji had already hinted to him and the others about her situation. "Say, after lunch, why don't we play a match?" Kidou added. "Kujou-san should join us. That way, she'll get used to our play style and we'll be used to hers." The other boys agreed.

And so began the rebirth of Raimon's soccer club with the debut of former soccer player Kujou Aya.


	3. When Anxiety Becomes Joy

**Summary: **Victorious, Inazuma Japan return home after the FFI and resume their normal lives...until some realize that a champion archer transferred during their absence. The new girl seems pleasant enough, but something's out of place...but what? OCxCharacter

_"There are only two ways to live your life._  
><em>One is as though nothing is a miracle. <em>  
><em>The other is as though everything is a miracle."<em>  
>- Albert Einstein -<p>

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**Chapter 3: When Anxiety Becomes Joy**

Aya adored the color blue. It was the color of the sky, the color of the ocean she loved to gaze at along the coasts of California, and the color of her eyes, which Kura-kun often admired before he was hospitalized.

Aya stared up at the cloudless fall sky, its azure glow making it look like rolling waves. She was lying on her back on the edge of Raimon's soccer field, away from the rest of the gang so she could immerse herself, alone, in the giddy feeling that was threatening to explode from her chest.

Two weeks after she and Gouenji had their private talk, Aya braved herself to give Amakusa Kurannosuke a call that she hadn't given in almost a year. She could remember her conversation with Kura-kun as lucidly as if she had just called him a minute ago.

_Aya called her friend's number and waited for a response. She didn't have to wait long until a warm, gentle voice answered. _

_"Hello?" Aya's voice hitched. It was him! Her heart thumped in her chest. _

_"Hello? Kura-kun? It's me..." _

"_Aya-chan? Is that you?" _The boy on the other end raised his voice and spoke quickly, as though in disbelief.__

_Aya remained silent. Her lip quivered. Just hearing the boy's familiar voice was enough to shake her resolve. _

"_Aya-chan? Aya? Are you there?" Kurannosuke's voice quickened—he wondered if something had happened to her while he wasn't by her side._

"_I-It's nothing, Kura-kun," Aya stammered. She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her sweater. "How have you been?" She heard the boy sighing in relief on the other end. _

"_I've been doing alright…I miss your visits though," he confessed. "I heard from Marui-san that you moved to Japan. How's school? Still doing soccer?"_

_Aya faltered. Did no one tell him that she had changed to archery? For him? Why not? She had practiced her butt off to win the archery championship in Korea. She couldn't count how many times her hands and fingers had blistered and bled, and how many times she had to bandage them to alleviate the pain. Why had Kura-kun not been informed? Well, he might have been better off not knowing, she thought. _

"_Yeah…school's been fine. So, uh…Kura-kun?"_

"_Yes?"_

"_I'm sorry," Aya said softly. _

"_What? Hey, can you talk a little louder? I didn't catch that."_

"_I'm sorry," Aya said a notch louder this time._

"_Sorry for what?" Kurannosuke asked. He chuckled._

"_I, uh…about the accident in Korea…"_

"_Don't worry about that," the boy said. "I never resented you, and I never regretted saving you that day. It's true that I was upset at first, but I realized how much more it would have hurt me if you had been the one in the hospital. Now, the only thing I kept wishing for was for you to contact me. What were you doing all this time? I really thought you disappeared."_

_Aya was stunned. She choked back the lump in her throat as silent tears rolled down her cheeks. Before, if her tears had been in devastation, these tears were shed in pure joy._

"_Kura-kun…Kura-kun I'm so sorry." Aya wept._

"_Oh, come on. Stop crying, you crybaby." Aya could hear the older boy laughing. "Just make sure you call me now and then, especially when you have a big match. I wouldn't want to miss watching your soccer games for anything, especially after I get out of the hospital next month."_

_The line went silent. "Next month? What do you mean?" Aya's head spun as the words sunk in. _

"_Didn't anyone tell you?" Kurannosuke asked. "The doctors here found a way to fix my arms and leg. I won't be able to use them much after the surgery, but the doctors said that if I practice a lot, then I might be able to do archery again." He panicked when he heard a heavy thud. "Aya? What happened? Are you alright?"_

_Aya had dropped her phone in surprise. She was covering her mouth with her hands to suppress her urge to scream with joy. She felt so foolish. Not only was Kurannosuke not angry at her, but she also had no reason to give up soccer in the first place. The irony of the situation made her sheepish. After she had regained her composure, Aya picked up the phone. "Sorry, Kura-kun. I was just surprised," she said. "But I thought you didn't want to get surgery."_

"_I didn't," Kurannosuke said. "But that was only because the doctors were working on the surgery that I'm getting soon. It was in progress, so they wanted me to just get rehabilitation until the details of the surgery were finalized. I think things will turn out alright."_

"_I hope so. I'll pray for you," Aya said softly._

"_Thanks. It was great talking to you again. I'll contact you after the surgery is over."_

"_Okay. Take care!" The line clicked and Aya could hear the phone beeping. For the first time during the conversation, the girl smiled. She was glad that she had listened to Gouenji's words. She was glad to have a friend like Kura-kun. And most of all, she was glad to have her beloved soccer back into her life. For good. _

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"Aya-san! There you are!"

Aya looked up to see Aki running towards her. Aya had been walking towards the rest of the soccer club members when Aki called out to her. Aya grinned.

"Sorry about that. I had something on my mind so I left to cool my head."

"Oh! I see. Everyone was so surprised when you vanished. Kidou-kun was about to announce something exciting, so I came looking for you so you can hear the news too."

Aya smiled. "Alright. Let's go!" She grabbed Aki's hand and dragged her back to the gang.

MmMmMmM

"…so that's what I was planning for us to do on our two week vacation," Kidou announced. He looked proud as he saw everyone's jaws drop open in surprise.

"You have a summer home?" Endo exclaimed. His eyes bulged.

"And you're inviting all of us to stay over?" Haruna asked. Her eyes shone and her cheeks were flushed. She looked like an excited puppy. A whole week with her brother! It was a rare occasion. She would definitely go. How could she ever refuse such a tempting invitation?

"Then it's settled," Kidou said. "I'll text everyone the location and time the day before we leave."

Everyone nodded, but the first and second year students looked at one another with dejected looks on their faces. After fidgeting a little, one of them spoke up.

"Kidou-sempai! We're really sorry, but we won't be able to make it," he said sadly.

Kidou looked down at him. He looked puzzled for a second, but then his eyes lit up in realization.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot," he said. "The first and second years have their field trip then, don't they? Hmm…"

"It's okay," the first and second years said. "Please don't worry about us and have a great time. The school year is almost over, so the upperclassmen should go and spend time together."

"Are you sure?" Aya asked. She frowned.

"Yes!" they assured. "Please go and have fun."

"Then thanks guys," Endo said. "We feel bad that you all can't go, but the camp should be just as fun. I remember how much I enjoyed the trips for the past two years."

"Then since we got everything cleared up, let's go back to class," Gouenji said. He nudged his head towards the school building and walked towards it. Aya ran after him and the two walked back together. Everyone else followed behind.

MmMmMmM

"So, did you contact Amakusa?"

Aya looked up from her locker. Gouenji was leaning against the locker next to hers. His eyes were gentle.

"Yes, I did. I had a great time. Thank you for encouraging me to talk to him." Aya blushed and a wide smile spread across her face. Gouenji smirked.

"It seems like all went well. Did something good happen?"

Aya closed her locker and placed her bag on her shoulder. She grabbed Gouenji's arm to keep herself from squealing.

"He's going to get surgery and it's guaranteed to be successful! He can go back to being an archer again! I can't believe it!" Aya squeezed Gouenji's arm. Gouenji gingerly patted his classmate's head with his free hand.

"It turned out just like I said it would, right? Good for you."

"Yeah. So now I can focus on having fun on the trip. I'm going to take pictures and send them to him." Aya suppressed another squeal and released Gouenji's arm. She then surprised the boy by grabbing his hand and running down the hallway, dragging him with her.

"What's with the rush?" Gouenji asked.

"Let's go to a café today Go-kun," Aya answered. "I know you don't have any plans today, so you have to come. My treat!"

Gouenji smirked and followed the girl without any hesitation. He was glad that things had been resolved between Aya and her friend because now, she was smiling brightly. It reminded him of Yuuka.


End file.
